There are a wide variety of car accessories that allow car owners to dress their vehicles in almost the same way they dress themselves. A car may display its owner’s favorite band, sports team, college or presidential candidate and the list certainly does not end there.

In the state of Kansas, drivers are only required to have a rear license plate. This provides Kansans with extra canvas space on their cars, which Topekans often use to display Washburn pride.

Elijah Strawn, freshman biology and biotechnology major on the Washburn track and field roster, has a bumper sticker for the track team. He says when he commutes to Lawrence each weekend, the sticker is a conversation starter with other track athletes. He also said it is a point of pride, as it displays that he has “made it,” as he put it.

Becca Schleif, sophomore forensic investigation major, said she isn’t concerned with what others think of her sticker collection, which includes an “FJB” sticker.

“[The stickers] are just my personality…so I don’t really care what people think. [They can] think what they want,” Schleif said.

Caylee Kloiber, sophomore biology major, has a collection of bumper stickers from different places where she and her family have vacationed. She began collecting bumper stickers when she was given a sticker of Michael Scott, a main character in the popular American TV show “The Office.”

She said that the stickers help her car feel less “cookie-cutter” and that it provides her with a sense of home whenever she sees it.

Generally, those who accessorize their vehicles for self-expression have little concern for how others perceive them. Instead, they do it only for themselves so that they identify more with their vehicle. 

Edited by Stuti Khadka and Jeremy Ford